Always Building Up

 DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

ALWAYS BUILDING UP

1 Cor 14:1-5

14:1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. 2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.   3 But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified.

NIV

Having somewhat dealt with the way of love, although we doubt that we will ever grasp the fullness and depth of how to follow the way of love, and we considered that we should eagerly desire spiritual gifts, we now should look at the differences between prophecy and tongues.  It cannot be any clearer than from these verses, that when the gift of tongues is manifested in a worship service, the one speaking in that language given to him by the Spirit is a form of worship and praise to God. Never ever can someone who the Spirit gives the gift of interpretation speak about anything from God, for that person who understands that language spoken can only speak of what that person said in praise, giving God all the glory. This is where some have gone astray and decided to manufacture their “Gift”, which then is no gift, but the flesh just jabbering meaninglessly into the air. This can apply both to the gift of tongues, interpretation, and prophecy. As we already discovered that when the gift of prophecy is present in a worship service the words given by the Spirit will always build up, strengthen, encourage, and comfort the people of God hearing those words. Anything else spoken that does not accomplish those three aspects is again, simply the flesh yapping away, flapping their lips into the air. The speaker who is speaking the words of God given by the Spirit will always edify the church, or as a more wooden translation of the Greek word oikodomeoo, is to build. However, it is also to restore a building, to repair, and when taken metaphorically means to promote growth in Christian wisdom, affection, grace, virtue, holiness, and blessedness.  It is always spiritually correct to edify the church, to build it up, and perhaps to even repair it, which could be seen through correction or maybe even rebuking, however, in the truest sense of repairing a building, no correction of the worn part is done, but rather it is replaced with a good part. So then when the church is edified through a prophetic word, the church, or the people of God, will get goodness, good parts, that strengthen them, encourage them, and comfort them. These are all positive activities within a worship service. However, tongues, although Paul says that it edifies the speaker are only true if there is no interpretation, for when that language is spoken, and interpreted God is lifted up and glorified and that is what worship is all about. Once again, let us desire these spiritual gifts, so God and the people of God are lifted up. 

Following the Way of Love

 DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

FOLLOWING THE WAY OF LOVE

1 Cor 14:1-5

14:1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. 2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.   3 But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified.

NIV

It almost seems that way of love has escaped somewhere. We say that we love each other, and it does show in most marriages where we make every effort to put our spouse before ourselves. But even then, how does that look like when both members of a marriage put the other before themselves? Someone is going to be served and someone is going to serve, although we would think it would always be reciprocal in nature. However, when we come to the whole of the church, how do we follow the way of love? Are we to put all others before ourselves? We do have to refer back to what Paul just gave as the standard for following the way of love. Love is patient and kind and it does not envy, and boast, it is not prideful, rude, and self-seeking, it does not keep a record of wrongs nor does it get easily angered. That is the trick if we can pull it off in regard to every member of the local church. We would think that if we spend our whole life putting others before ourselves, we will never have any time for our own desires or needs. Somehow, love has to be balanced with the life we need to live to supply our sustenance and to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Yet, we need to follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts. Here is where it can get a little dicey in the sense to which spiritual gifts are being referred. Of course, Paul lists some other gifts then he wrote to the Corinthians, in his letter to the Romans. Nevertheless, the point is we should eagerly desire spiritual gifts rather than ignore them. As far as knowing which spiritual gift or gifts the Spirit will give, or manifest within us, is totally up to the Spirit. However, in these verses, Paul says that we should especially desire the gift of prophecy because when the Spirit manifests his gift of prophecy within us, we will speak words that strengthen, encourage, and comfort others. We should consider the difference between speaking tongues and prophecy, which we will get to that difference, but first, we should take a closer look at the result of the gift of prophecy that we should especially desire. One of the ways the Greek word profeeteuoo, which is translated as prophecy, is to break forth in lofty speech under the inspiration of the Spirit, declaring the praises of God. This is thus seen as God speaking to men. When God speaks, His word builds us up, which is a more wooded translation of oikodomee, translated as strengthen. It lifts us up, making us stronger in our walk with him. When God speaks, he exhorts us, or the direct meaning of the word parakleesis is to summons near but can also be used as an admonition. His words also comfort us, as paramuthia has this meaning of stimulating to calmness and consoling. These are ways in which we should desire to speak to each other, allowing the Spirit to work through us with His gift of prophecy. If we spoke to each other to strengthen, encourage and comfort each other we would be following the way of love. 

Love is Forever

 DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

LOVE IS FOREVER

1 Cor 13:8-13

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

NIV

This is where those vehemently opposed to the gifts of the Spirit being active in the church today get their misguided doctrinal position, specifically about prophecy, tongues, and interpretation. We believe this because of the misunderstood interpretation of what Paul is saying here. The first clue that the gifts are still at work in the church is that the Spirit is still active today. Because faith, hope, and love remain, Paul is speaking about a world to come. Someday, this present world will pass away and when that happens there will be no need for prophecies for everything will have been fulfilled, and everything will be made perfect, as it said right here when the perfection comes, and the imperfect disappears. This is the present world, even the present church which is now imperfect and while this imperfection still exists the Spirit is active in the church, and prophecies, tongues, and knowledge will continue until perfection comes. Jesus is the perfection that Paul is speaking about and when Jesus comes back for us, all the imperfections of this world will fade away and we will live in a new world and a new city where there is no darkness at all for God is the light. The childish ways in the world today are all about this foolish debate about when prophecies, tongues, and knowledge will be stilled. A child simply does not understand the truth of God. A child plays with truth, reasoning about the scriptures like a child, and it is time to put away that folly and be the man or woman of God that He wants us to be. Once again, Paul speaks about the difference between this world and the world to come when he says that we only see a poor reflection as in a mirror, but in the world to come we will see Jesus face to face. There is no question that in the world to come love will be all that remains, for it is the love of God who has brought us to this place we are in now and it is the love of God that will take us into the place Jesus promised we would be. Let us set aside childish ideas and think soberly as the person of God he desires us to be. Therefore, until this perfection comes, this new world where we live in the physical presence of our Lord, we will continue to have prophecies, tongues, and knowledge, as well as all the gifts of the same Spirit who works them in all men. However, we will always have faith, hope, and love because of the coming perfection, and love will continue throughout eternity. 

Hope and Perseveres

 DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

HOPE AND PERSEVERES

1 Cor 13:4-7

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

NIV

Love always protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres. Let us consider this hope and see how it fits into loving each other. The Greek word translated as hope is elpizo, that comes from the base word elpis. Both words are used for hope, with elpizo sometimes used in the sense that, I trust you will send, instead of, I hope you will send. But it is an expectation. It can be used positively or negatively, in that sense that we hope this does not happen or we hope that Jesus is coming for us. We might say that we believe that Jesus is returning, or trust that he will come for us, or have this positive expectation of His return. When we apply this to love for each other we always have this hope, this positive expectation that the ones we love well do the right thing, or love God, or be with us in the new creation, We are always hoping for the best for our loved ones, who again, is everyone, especially those who are in the body of Christs. It is interesting that if we always expect the best for others, it would do away with envy, jealousy, and even greed. We will also always hope for the best in those we love. That is we expect them to be the best they can be in their walk with the Lord. This would mean that we are always about encouraging them in their walk, seeking to enhance their relationship with the Lord. Along with all this hope we have for and in those we love, we also will always never give up on them, never stop loving them, no matter what. Certainly, the Greek word hupomenoo carries the meaning to preserver absolutely and emphatically, under misfortunes and trials to hold fast to one’s faith in Christ. Therefore, we can apply this to how we will hold fast to our love for each other under any circumstances whether everything is all good or if there are times of not so good. This would directly be applied in a marriage, but it can also be applied in the community of faith. Let us always remember how love is defined for us, and always know that we decided to love each other, it is our choice and we made it because we love the Lord, and the Lord loves all of us, so we have decided to always love you. 

Trust Always

 DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

TRUST ALWAYS

1 Cor 13:4-7

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

NIV

Love always protects, trusts hopes, and perseveres. With the wall we have built around those we love, protecting them and any of their secrets, we turn our attention to trust. It is interesting the Greek word pisteuo, is an intransitive verb, which does not need a direct object. This word carries the direct meaning; to think to be true, to be persuaded of; to credit, place confidence in. It is used of the thing believed being evident from the preceding context. Yet, specifically, of the conviction and trust to which a person is impelled by a certain inner and higher prerogative and law of his soul. This can be seen in our complete trust in Jesus, or that God is able to do anything. However, this word in its forms is also used as trust in an ethical sense, of confidence in the good of men, which is how it is used in this verse, however, it is also to entrust a thing to someone. Therefore, as we apply this to the concept of loving each other, and how this love demands the way we interact with the members of the body of Christ, of course, all the definitions relate directly to our relationship to marriage. Once again, trust is a two-way street, it is reciprocal. We put our trust, and our confidence in the other person to be true and right, to the point that we could share a need, or an inner struggle with complete confidence that information will remain solely between the two of us and the information shared will not affect the relationship between them. This is that two-way street, as when we are made privy to a situation, where someone comes to us to share a need or an inner struggle, we will keep confidence, or keep the highest standard of confidence as if this is a highly classified secret, and we redact the whole of the share data, so to speak. That is no one else will ever be able to see, hear, read, or gain knowledge of the information shared with us. We will trust you, have confidence in you to hold our inner needs and struggles and you can be sure that we will hold with absolute assurance your inner needs and struggles, because love always, and that is not sometimes, but always trusts. Always is a good word, as the Greek word pas, pasa, pan, in each form, means every, any, and always. It is infinite, in that sense, never ever revealing anything about what was shared. Love always trusts. 

A Hedge of Protection

 DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

A HEDGE OF PROTECTION

1 Cor 13:4-7

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

NIV

Love always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. It is interesting when we think about protecting something, we think about keeping whatever it is safe from any harm or theft so we put it under lock and key, such as we lock the doors of our homes. We also lock our cars when we go into a store. We want to protect our things, but this protection is about people. If we love them, we will put them under lock and key so to speak. This Greek word, stegoo, has the direct meaning to protect by covering but is also used to cover with silence, to keep a secret, to conceal. This almost sounds the opposite of gossip, which would be uncovering, not keeping a secret, and certainly not concealing anything about someone. If we love you, we will not reveal anything about you that we might be privy to. We will always protect you, covering you in our hearts and minds. We will keep any behavior that is not perfection, within and only give witness to how much you do for the kingdom of God. However, protection may be more the keeping a secret. As we continue to think about how a lock or a vault might protect our stuff, we could also build a big wall around it, in the days of Paul many cities had walls around them for protection against the attack of their enemy. We might be able to apply this to love, as it could be like building a wall around those we love, which should be everyone, and protecting them from the attack of the evil one. We recall praying about asking God to build a hedge around someone we love. There is scriptural proof that God does have a hedge of protection around us, as we think of the conversation that Satan had with God about Job. God give witness to the faith of Job to Satan, who did not have faith in God, but in himself. Satan then replies, accusing God of putting a hedge around him and his household and everything he has. He continues to accuse God of blessing the work of Job’s hands making him prosper. This is the kind of hedge we should build around those we love. We should make every effort to protect people in the way that God protects us. Of course, he protects them as well, but we are to partner with God by only giving witness to their faith and the work of their hands to advance the kingdom of God. I will protect you until my last breath. 

Deception or Truth

 DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

DECEPTION OR TRUTH

1 Cor 13:4-7

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

NIV

It would make perfect sense if we love someone, but then of course, we are supposed to love everyone, nevertheless, we would not be glad that they sinned. Yes, we all sin, but this Greek word translated as evil is not the word used for sin. Harmartano is the word translated as sin and it appears 474 times in the Bible. It indeed shows us that God has been dealing with the sin of His people for some time. However, this word translated as evil is adikia, and most of the 25 times it appears it is translated as unrighteousness. When we search into this word, we find that it is meant as the unrighteousness of the heart and life. It is interesting that in this context, it is used as the unrighteousness by which others are deceived as opposed to aleetheia which means the truth, as in what is true under any situation. Now we can see that because we love others, we will not rejoice when someone lives in a manner that is deceptive, or deceiving others. We have seen these silver-tongued deceivers at work firsthand and their lives are nothing to rejoice about. However, these silver-tongued purveyors of deception may not be the only ones who live deceptively. We have known those who profess to be a Christian, a follower of Jesus, who announce their lack of sin, or at least, state they cannot remember the last time they sinned. Even when we think more highly of ourselves than we should, we might be guilty of living in a deceptive manner and that would be contrary to love for others. This kind of living deceptively is diametrically opposed in this context to living truthfully. Here is where we can rejoice and be glad because loving each other means being honest with others, telling the truth about our lives, with all our faults and all our successes. We can give an honest witness to the grace of God and His loving kindness in our lives. We can testify to His mercy, His unforgiveness of our sin. We can proclaim His mighty acts for our benefit and that our humanity stands in the way of our perfection on this earth, but that one day we will live forever in the perfection of our Lord. Until then, truthfully, we still deal with our imperfection, and our tendency toward sin, but not with guilt, but with thanksgiving that God has declared us to be holy and blameless in His sight because we are in Christ. We cannot live the lie, we must live the truth.